Ambitious plans to recycle an oil rig as a visitor attraction in the middle of Aberdeen’s Rubislaw Quarry are still on the table, the man behind the idea has said.
Architect George Simpson, from Oldmeldrum, said his proposal would incorporate a museum, underwater restaurants and diving bell trips.
The quarry has been a battleground in recent years – with Carttera hoping to build hundreds of flats and businessman Hugh Black wishing to construct a heritage centre honouring the granite industry on the other side.
Battle lines drawn over Rubislaw Quarry as final objection date looms
Mr Simpson said: “I applaud Hugh Black for his dogged determination to build a granite heritage visitor centre.
“However, I believe a more radical approach is needed. A heritage centre as proposed is unlikely to compete with the V&A Dundee as a major visitor destination.
“I went public last year with an idea of using a jack-up oil rig to form the basis for a large museum combining the history of the granite and North Sea oil industries.
“This would mean significantly raising the bar to achieve a footfall comparable to that of the V&A.
“I have been made aware that many would support such a proposal which would be a game changer.
“This site, so beloved by Aberdonians and rightly so, should be used to boost our economy through tourism and we know such a project can attract considerable finance.”
